Environmental Impact

WASTE AND RECYCLING

Waste and recycling were identified by Quadra’s stakeholders as being one of the most important aspects of the organization’s sustainability program.

Expired or damaged food products were previously disposed of as chemical waste. In 2012 partnerships were formed with pork producers which allowed Quadra to divert a portion of food waste for animal feed. Quadra will continue to use these and other best practices to reduce environmental impact on landfills.

Overall, the amount of waste as a percentage of total products handled continues to remain a very low 0.03% in 2016, as a result of efficient inventory management initiatives and thus fewer expired products.

Quadra’s recycling practices have been maintained at the same high level, with some recyclable materials being reused (such as stretch wrap, wood pallets, office paper, and electronics).

Quadra also continues to maintain a drum and tote reconditioning program.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

The reduction of corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of Quadra’s top priorities. Total direct and indirect carbon emissions from operations decreased by 3% this year despite another long and cold winter for all Canada in 2016.

The only source of direct energy at Quadra is natural gas used to heat the facilities; electricity is the only source of indirect energy consumption. The following sites, owned and operated by Quadra, are included in the table below:

Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec

Burlington, Ontario

Delta, British Columbia

Clairmont, Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta (2 locations)

In 2016, Quadra’s emission reduction efforts continued and focused on the largest facilities. The Burlington facility sought new ways to reduce its electricity consumption by migrating to lower consumption lighting options, and in Vaudreuil, a complete refitting of the HVAC system was carried out to improve its efficiency. Both initiatives resulted in net energy reduction consumption vs last year of 13,3% for Burlington and 9,95% for Vaudreuil.

Employee vehicle travel emissions increased 1.8% and air travel emissions increased by 2.6%, both numbers contingent on Quadra’s distribution business growth. Quadra continues to reduce per vehicle emissions by adding more efficient vehicles to its fleet. Most of the available choices within the fleet are equipped with four cylinder engines rather than six, in order to optimize fuel efficiency, as the Quadra commercial team relies heavily on their vehicles.

Quadra also promotes the use of alternate modes of transportation, and gives out “Green Commuter” awards to employees who use a hybrid vehicle, public transportation, carpool or walk or cycle to work. In 2016, the total number of days when employees used a “green” commute increased to 1,340 from 1,190 in 2014.

ASPECT: ENERGY

G4-EN3 ENERGY CONSUMPTION WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION

Operational Footprint

2013

2014

2015

2016

NATURAL GAS CONSUMPTION, GJ

32,863

31,115

30,467

29,835

ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION, GJ

9,984

10,018

10,190

9,523

ASPECT: EMISSIONS

G4-EN15 DIRECT GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS

(SCOPE 1) Operational Footprint

2013

2014

2015

2016

TOTAL DIRECT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS*, METRIC TONS CO 2 E

1,707

1,620

1,586

1,554

G4-EN16 ENERGY INDIRECT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

(SCOPE 2) Operational Footprint

2013

2014

2015

2016

TOTAL DIRECT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS*, METRIC TONS CO 2 E

570

607

563

539

*GHG emissions from energy use were calculated using the 2016 conversion values for each province provided by Environment Canada’s Electricity Intensity Tables